Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-01-06
FmR wAR GEsgRAraoA DEsAPs
REARlsG.
[From Iowa State Register.


The main figures of the genera
ton that fought the War of the
Union are disappearing at q rate
which shows how far away the war
is now removed. 1t Is only when
We stop TO think, and TO call the roll
of the dead, that we realize how few
Of the political leaders and soldiers
10 the great struggle survive. The
contest began In 1855, thirty years
ago, Ia the nomination of the first
Republican candidate for President,
and grew more and more and more
grave until 1t ended In the destruc-
ton of slavery and the enfranchise-
ment of the former slaves. Il was
the remarkable struggle OF q remark
able generation, and has made an
impression upon history as the War
of the Revolution alone in our rec
ords in any way equals. In the
death roll of eighteen months are
recorded the deaths Of Grant, No
Clellan, Hancock and Seymour, ell
of them Presidential candidates, and
three of them famous Generals, one
Of them President for eight years,
and now of General Logan, the
greatest of the volunteer soldiers,
and the greatest soldier and states
man the nation has developed. The
country feels, as Il sees such men GO
ing so rapidly. that the generation 10
fast disappearing. Beginning with
the canvass OF 1855 and ending with
that OF 1880, fifteen candidates con-
tested for the Presidency who be-
longed to the generation who
brought on or carried through the
war. Buchanan and Fremont; Lin
coin, his three rivals in 1850, Doug
las. Breckenridge aud Bell, and his
sole opponent In 1864, Mcclellan;
Grant, and the men whom he defeat
ed in 1868 and 1872, Seymour and
Greeley; Tilden, defeated by Hayes
In 1870; Garfield and Hancock, the
candidates in 1880, are all dead.
There remains of the whole list oBly
Fremont. OF the men of the war
Cabinets aAd the war Congress the
fatality has been nearly as great. OF
Lincoln's Cabinets the venerable ST.
mon Cameron alone remains, unless
Il Is Attorney General Bates, of
whom We cannot speak positively.
rhe war Governors are nearly all
gone-Kirkwood. Of Iowa, and Cur
tin, of Pennsylvania, being nearly
all of the ones remaining. The great
leaders In Congress before, during
and Immediately after the war, like
Charles sumner, Henry Wilson,
William Pitt Fessenden, Ben Wade,
Oliver +. Morton, James w. Grimes,
Thomas A. Hendricks, Thad Ste
vens are either dead or lag supernu
Gus, like N. P. Banks and Lyman
Tfumbull. In Congress today there
are but few mea who sat in that
body before the war, and now that
Logan Is gone. John Sherman Is the
only one remaining who retains Q
commanding position, If we except
Allison. who entered Congress dur
ing the war.
A recent writer In q New York pa
per called attention 70 the fact that
there Is something remarkable about
the speed with which the political
generation OF the Rebellion has passed
IRON the stage. The contrast with
the generation Of the Revolutionary
era renders II the mere noteworthy !.
II Il now barely twenty-five years
since Appomattox, and yet nearly ali
the leaders are physically or politi-
eally deceased. The Revelation
ended In 1sSS, but 1t was not until
1885, fortykwo years later, al the ex-
pIration of Monroe's second term,
that the country ceased 20 elect
Presidents who had entered public
life before or during the long contest
which began in lTfS. The senate 70
which M0aroe addressed his last aR-
nuAi message In December, 1924. con-
tAiued several men who had been
soldiers in the Revolutionary army
nearly half 9 century before. like
Rufas King. of New York. JOAN
Chandler, OF Maine. and Nathaniel
Macon, OF North Carolina, and Il Is
easy to see thai the proportion of
mea still In active Political life who
we're actors Ia the Revolution was,
even al that long remove, Quite con-
siderable. This vas due ia no small
measure 10 the youthful pTecocity Of
these survivors, the senator Macon
Of 1918 - ISIS having been only .
boy OF Is when be left PFiacesoa
College, 10 IT'S, 70 enlist In the -.
trios army, and The President Monroe
Of 1877 70 Is2S bat IL years old
when be Joined the Revolutionary
army. tire fathers" also escaped
the danger of assassination which
removed two Of the four Presidents
who were elected between 1880 and
lSs4
ETen more rapidly ihan the Lead
ers. he hnmbier menabsrs OF the
new gesernt on are departing.
Many of The voters WHO 10 last Mo-
xsmbeE helped % eise& The rev Cor.
Rress we're nes bora when Isee sus-
rendered TO Tie Government FeFy
maay more hare only the hoyiGh
II "a.